[Bug-tar] Tar Sparse Bug

[Joe Holt]

I think I found a bug in the sparse file handling in gnu tar.  If you create a archive using file below with the options below, it cannot be extracted.  Tar is looking for a continuation header type ‘M’ at the beginning of the second archive.  Since the sparse data is still being processed and it is writing out extended headers, it does not write a continuation header.  I tried the same thing with a volume label hoping that it would see the ‘V’ record and continue, but it does not.  Please let me know if this is a bug or me not understanding the tar options.  It seems like this will probably happen any time a sparse file is split across multiple files or media and the break occurs in the extended headers.

 

Since the anti malware software on the server would not allow me to send the sparse file, I’ve uploaded it to my server.  The link below will get you the file.

 

http://www.objectfusion.com/small_sparse.zip

 

 

This is the command I used.

tar  -L 2 -b1 -MScvf gtar1.tar small_sparse.dat

 

Best regards,

Joe Holt